On November 7, 2018, a Drake University student found a threatening note slid under their dorm door, commanding them to leave the Iowa school. In the following weeks, four more racist writings appeared around the campus. Now, four out of the five messages found are now known to be written by a student in an elaborate hoax.
The Des Moines Register reports an 18-year-old student is behind the racially charged letters targeting Black students. Notes discovered under the doors of two female students on November 13, 15 and 26 were copycats inspired by an earlier letter. One of those female students confessed to writing them.
“We started having a little different tone of a conversation with the two victims,” Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek said Friday. “Unfortunately, one of them admitted that she was, in fact, responsible for the note that was written and reported to the police on [Wednesday, November 28].” The student will face harassment charges and possible expulsion, according to Drake spokesman Jarad Bernstein, reports local news outlet KCCI.
Over the past two weeks, protests overtook the campus in response to the notes, and racist robocalls were reportedly carried out by Idaho-based white supremacist group The Road to Power. Approximately 250 phones received a 75-second message calling for Black students to be "expelled" to Africa.
Although the majority of the notes have been confirmed as fake, in an interview with Des Moines WHO-HD, Drake University student Morgan Coleman said the work to understand racist acts on campus isn't over. "Racism manifests itself in many different ways. And although I cannot speak personally, and nobody can speak personally, to the motives of either individual who sent either set of notes, I do think that it shows that white supremacy is a huge problem and we have to actively work to combat it."
“As painful as these recent events have been, they have sparked important discussions and reflection and have brought us closer together as one Drake community,” Drake University President Marty Martin said in a statement. “We all have work to do as we further our commitment to equity and inclusion, but (we) can be proud of our response, our values and our conviction."
Police and Drake campus security are still investigating the first note delivered to freshman Keith Walker.
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